Burn Falls

by Kimberly Knight

  Athan had stuck around to help me keep her safe while I was on duty by watching the house or wherever Calla went until I got home from work. I thought that after the holidays she’d go back to Seattle and that would be the end, but in my research of Calla and her family, I didn’t know that she’d take over the distillery and move back permanently until we ran into her at the bar on New Year’s Eve.

  Okay, it wasn’t a fluke encounter.

  I’d wanted to see Calla again.

  Period.

  When her friend mentioned that she was moving back, I swore my dead heart skipped a beat like a little flutter of life was starting to come alive again in my chest. I didn’t know why. Of course, I was attracted to her. I was, after all, once a man, and my desire for women had never ceased. Especially a woman with curves.

  Calla may have thought I wanted someone who was lean given what she assumed was under my clothes (my turning had made my muscles taut and given me the strength of a hundred men), but what I wanted in bed was a woman who wouldn’t break under me as I pounded into her. And if anything, Calla was that perfect woman because she wasn’t thin as a board.

  However, she was moving back to Burn Falls, and therefore, I asked her out on a date. The more she trusted me, the better I would be at watching her every move, at least until I figured out who fucking attacked Miles, and then I’d rip his throat out and move on. Going on a date went against everything I’d ever done in the past ninety years, but I was going to do this because it would haunt me if anything were to ever happen to her. Especially if I could have prevented it.

  I hadn’t been on a date since Mary, and then it was nothing like dating in modern times. For one, when Mary and I dated, we had to sneak into speakeasies just to drink. The women had also wore a lot more clothes than they did nowadays, which I’m not complaining about one bit. And the dancing now? Not complaining about that either because I liked to have body contact while I danced versus a few inches apart and doing the foxtrot. Plus, Mary and I had to sneak around because our dates needed to be chaperoned by the father. Talk about cockblocking.

  “You know,” Athan said, leaning against the doorjamb of my bathroom, sipping a whiskey neat. “I never thought I’d see the day that you would be going on a date.”

  “I’ve dated,” I retorted, running hair gel through my short brown hair.

  He shook his head. “Not like this. I know you.”

  “You know nothing.”

  “I know you only fuck. You don’t date.”

  “Who said this wouldn’t lead to that?” I asked, staring back at him in the mirror. Yes, you can see vampires in mirrors.

  “Maybe it will, but you can’t compel Calla to forget what you are afterward.”

  Athan was right. Calla’s inability to be compelled had thrown a few wrenches into everything I thought about this world.

  “I can pretend.” I smirked.

  He chuckled. “Pretend to what? Make love? Pretend your skin isn’t cold compared to hers?”

  I shrugged and turned toward him, leaning against the bathroom counter. “It’s like riding a bike. I haven’t forgotten what it used to be like, and I’ll tell her I have bad circulation or something.”

  Could I really could be a gentle giant of sorts when it came to sex? When I slept with women I’d picked up at a bar or whatever, I didn’t make the house fall down or anything. I may have broken a few bedposts or knocked pictures off the walls, but humans did that too. Or so I’d heard. But no matter what I broke, or how loud I growled my orgasm, I was always able to compel them to forget, or at least get them to forget that they were questioning the oddness or the fact that my skin was cold to the touch and my dick felt like a rod of ice when it entered their warm pussy. Or even that I had no semen when I came.

  When I first turned, I realized that my erections were linked to drinking because as I fed, my body circulated the blood through my veins causing my dick to get hard. That was the only time it did, and it worked now given I had blood bags at my disposal and didn’t have to prowl the streets for my next meal when I wanted to use my hand.

  “Plus,” I went on, “you know that I’m only doing this so I can make sure another human doesn’t die around here. We’re only going to dinner. I’m feeding on a blood bag before I go, and I won’t have any desire to take her to bed.” The erections only lasted as long as the high of the blood lasted and not until my next feeding. I couldn’t imagine walking around like I was popping Viagra twenty-four-seven.

  “What about her mother or siblings? Aren’t they in danger?”

  I’d thought of that, too. “They have no idea who attacked Miles, but Calla does, and if you were in that vampire’s position and knew that Calla saw you, then wouldn’t you be trying to tie up loose ends?”

  “But he hasn’t come back.”

  “I know,” I groaned. “Makes me think it’s a Fledgling.”

  A Fledgling was a term we used for a human who was recently turned and hadn’t tasted human blood yet. Once they drank human blood and were able to stabilize the beast inside of them, they would become a full vampire. It took a few weeks to a month before they weren’t considered a Fledgling.

  “Right, and you keep telling yourself that you’re only taking Calla to dinner to protect her.” Athan chuckled. “But keep in mind that I’ve never known you to want to wine and dine a chick before.”

  “Can’t explain it other than I never want her out of my sight.” I moved past him and into my room to grab my wallet and cell phone from the nightstand and then we walked at human speed toward the kitchen that led to the garage.

  “Can you ask about Valencia?”

  I stopped and turned to him just before grabbing my keys off the hook by the door. “What do you want me to ask exactly?”

  He shrugged. “Her deal. You know, boyfriend and all that back in Seattle.”

  “You didn’t get that info the other night at the bar?”

  “I’m pretty sure she’s single if the way she was rubbing up on me while we were dancing is any indicator, but I just want to make sure.”

  “You thinking of visiting Seattle then?”

  He lifted a shoulder again. “Maybe.”

  “Good. You can help Calla pack and move while I’m at the hospital.”

  “Whoa.” Athan threw his hands up in front of him. “I never said I wanted to do manual labor.”

  I rolled my eyes and snatched the keys. “It’s effortless for you. Plus, I was going to ask you to go keep an eye on her until I make it there. If the vampire is tracking her—”

  “I know. We’ll get to the bottom of this one way or another. Peppe had a few more calls to make to see if anyone might know of baby vamps out this way. I’ll follow up with him.”

  It wasn’t as though the vampire that attacked Miles could track Calla from thousands of miles away, but if he knew who he killed, then it would be easy to find out who Calla was in relation to Miles.

  “Get on that since the State Troopers have nothing. Also,” I opened the garage door, “since Calla and I are going to dinner, I bet Valencia doesn’t have plans. It’s her last night in Burn Falls.”

  And with that, I left to pick up Calla.

  When I arrived at Calla’s house, I cut the engine and walked up the drive before knocking on the door. It was weird knowing I was picking up a grown woman, and at her mom’s house no less. I was out of my element. Should I have brought flowers? Flowers for her mom? Fuck.

  The door opened, and Calla stood before me. Her long brown hair was loosely curled, and she had on jeans and a heavy coat.

  “Wow,” I uttered. “You’re beautiful.”

  Her cheeks turned pink. “Thank you. You know, you could have texted you were here, and I would have walked down the driveway.”

  I stepped aside so she could exit the doorway. “That wouldn’t have been gentlemanly of
me, now would it?”

  Calla chuckled. “I guess not.”

  Before she could close the door behind her, Alastair filled the frame. “You’ll have her home by eleven?”

  “Al!” Calla scolded.

  “What? I’m the man of the house now. I want to make sure the good doctor has you home at a decent hour.” He shrugged as though he were older than me and had authority.

  “You’re my baby brother. If I want to stay out until five in the morning, that’s my choice.” Calla rolled her eyes and turned from the door.

  I smiled at Alastair. “Don’t worry. She’s safe with me. I’ll have her home before the sun rises.”

  Calla started to walk down the steps, and I took that as my cue to follow. I hurried around her and made it to the passenger side door of my black Mercedes to open it for her. Once she was inside, I went around to my side and buckled in before starting the engine.

  “I figured we could drive into Anchorage. More restaurants there. Unless you like Italian, and then we can go to the place here in town. I’ve never been.”

  She sucked in a breath as she turned her head to look at me, her green eyes wide. “You haven’t? Oh my God, Bartoli’s has the best pasta. We should go there for sure.”

  I nodded. “Okay, I trust your taste.”

  Bartoli’s was a short drive into town, and Calla and I made small talk as I navigated the streets. She was easy to hold a conversation with. Once inside the cozy restaurant that looked like something that would sit on Lake Como rather than the middle of Alaska, I ordered a rare Palermo style steak that had garlic and capers on top with tomatoes and basil under the meat. Yes, I can eat garlic. If anything, the blood from the rare steak would be the only thing worth tasting on the plate.

  “How’s your mother doing?” I asked, leaning forward with my elbows on the table.

  Calla nodded her head with a tight smile. “The best she can be.”

  “Are you the official owner of O’Bannion Burn yet?”

  “No. My mom still needs to meet with the probate attorney and get everything drawn up for me to sign. I’ll do that once I move back.”

  “Are you planning on moving in with your mother then?”

  She sighed. “For now. My mom hasn’t been alone since … Well, never. She was still living at home when she married my father.”

  “It’s going to be a change for sure.”

  “Yeah.”

  The waitress placed our drinks down and then left.

  “Are Alastair and Betha going back to school?” I asked.

  “Yes. We all leave tomorrow, and then I’ll be back in two weeks or so.”

  “Who’s staying with your mother until you return?”

  “I’m not entirely sure except my father’s best friend, Ted, said he’d keep an eye on her. He doesn’t have any out of town meeting for a few weeks. I’ll be back before he needs to go to Phoenix.”

  “Meeting in Phoenix?” Also known as Hell to vampires because of the hot sun. “What does he do?”

  Calla took a sip of her Bellini. “He’s our—or my regional sales manager, and was my father’s best friend.”

  “He works for the distillery?”

  “Yeah. He’s worked there almost the entire time we’ve been in business.”

  “Was he there when your father was attacked?” Maybe Miles wasn’t the target after all. It was possible that Ted had run into a bad business deal or something, and that a vampire was sending a message.

  “No, he was actually on his way home from a meeting in Dallas. He was coming home because of Christmas break.”

  The waitress set our food down, and I changed the subject, not wanting to interrogate Calla further.

  “What time is your flight tomorrow?” I asked as Calla and I shared a slice of tiramisu. It was disgusting, though the coffee that it was made with gave me a little energy as the blood from my steak barely coursed through my veins.

  “It’s in the evening, but since we’re all flying out tomorrow, my mom will drop all of us off at nine.”

  “Are you up for a little adventure tonight?”

  Calla grinned. “Adventure?”

  I looked at my watch. “I promise to have you home before sunrise.”

  She licked the spoon. “Then I’m up for an adventure.”

  “Do you trust me?” I asked after starting the engine.

  Calla turned her head to look at me and grinned. “Should I not?”

  I chuckled. “I’m the only one you should trust in this world of monsters, sweetheart.”

  She paused for a beat before she answered my question, “Then yes. I trust you.”

  After I glanced to make sure Calla’s seatbelt was in place, I pulled out of the parking lot and headed north, the pedal to the metal as they say.

  “Is this what you mean? You drive like a maniac, and I’m supposed to trust you not to kill me?”

  Without thinking, I reached over and squeezed her knee. “I’d never kill you. You’re too special to me.”

  Calla’s heartbeat kicked up at my words, and I grinned. “You’re special to me too, and honestly, I’m looking forward to moving back home now.”

  “Good. Now, do you think I can make it to Fairbanks in three hours?” I knew I could make the five hour trip in three because I could maneuver the streets with my eyes closed, and if I were stopped by a Trooper, I’d compel my way out of the ticket.

  “If I get scared, I’ll just close my eyes and hang on.”

  We made it to Fairbanks in three hours. It was a little after midnight when we arrived, and I pulled into a not so romantic McDonald’s parking lot.

  “I promised you the Northern Lights and well …” I looked up to the sky, “all I see is black.”

  Calla’s gaze followed mine and she shrugged. “Yeah, it’s not a guarantee.”

  I hadn’t seen them before. In all my time, I hadn’t had the need or opportunity to wait until the collision between electrically charged particles from the sun entered the earth’s atmosphere. I was always worried I would need to take cover before the sky lit up with a yellowish-green hue, so I never made the trip.

  “Since we drove all this way, you want to drive around and see if it appears?”

  “We did drive all this way.” She chuckled.

  “I just didn’t want the date to end,” I confessed.

  “Good to know.”

  “I know it’s not the best place, but do you want to grab coffee inside McDonald’s and then find out where the best places are to see Aurora?”

  It was Calla’s turn to place her hand on me, but instead of my knee, it was my shoulder. “McDonald’s is my language, Draven. I don’t need to be wined and dined.”

  I chuckled as I remembered Athan’s earlier words to me. “Then I’ll remember to feed you Big Macs in bed.” Calla’s breath hitched, and before she could utter any words to the fact that I’d basically let it slip that she was going to be in my bed one day, I went on, “Let’s go. We have lights to see, and you have a plane to catch.”

  Calla ordered a vanilla latte, and I ordered a black coffee. I didn’t need the energy, but it was more for appearances. As the fast food worker placed the coffees in front of me, I asked where the best places to see the lights were.

  “They can be seen at Creamer’s Field, Cleary Summit, Murphy Dome, or Chena Hot Springs Road.”

  “Perfect. Thank you,” I said and took my coffee.

  Calla and I got back into the car, and after I searched on my phone, I determined that the best chance to see the lights would probably be at the highest peak, which was Cleary Summit.

  I followed the directions, and after driving the twenty or so miles, we got out of the car just as a green glow appeared in the distance against the dark black sky. “Do you see that?” I asked.

  Calla looked
up. “Yes. It’s starting.”

  We moved to a clearing, and I wrapped my arm around her, pulling her against my body as we both looked up at the color changing sky. She fit perfectly in the crook of my arm, and we were silent as we took in the show. The ghostly glow swayed left and then right, like clouds moving in the sky, unsure which direction they wanted to go. It was magical, and before I knew it, Calla and I were looking into each other’s eyes.

  My head descended until my lips met hers. I could feel her warm breath against my chilled lips, and when our tongues met, it was like they were trying to mimic the sky above. She tasted of coffee and vanilla and fear—my fear. Because I feared the monsters would one day take her away from me like they had taken Mary.

  We broke apart, and after a few breathless seconds on her part, Calla spoke. “After five years, you haven’t gotten accustomed to the weather?”

  “What?” I asked, tilting my head to the side slightly.

  “Your lips. They’re cold.”

  I cracked a grin. “Bad circulation or something.”

  She chuckled without sounds. “But you’re a doctor.”

  “And the cure is exercising.” I winked and pressed my room temperature lips to hers again for a quick kiss.

  Calla’s smile widened. “Is that so?”

  I shrugged. “Doctor’s orders.”

  “Right. You write your own prescriptions I take it.” She laughed again and then asked, “Also, what did I tell you about wining and dining me?”

  I smirked. “Is this wining and dining?”

  “First kiss under the polar lights classifies.”

  “In that case, is it working?”

  She stared up into my dark eyes and breathed, “Yes.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Seattle

  Saying goodbye to my family was tough, but I was excited knowing I was going back to Burn Falls in a few weeks because I was determined to make my father proud and keep OBB successful. I was also living my high from my date with Draven.